


Lakeside

by Inalandofmythandtimeofmagic



Category: Thomas Sanders, sanderssides
Genre: Angst, Camping, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, NSFW, lightly - Freeform, mentions of military deployment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-18
Updated: 2017-05-18
Packaged: 2018-11-02 01:30:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10934175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inalandofmythandtimeofmagic/pseuds/Inalandofmythandtimeofmagic
Summary: Patton convinces his boyfriends to go camping.





	Lakeside

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a Birthday present for the ever lovely Lekawiimelon whom I love very much but it took to long
> 
> Human!AU College!AU Pre-established LAMP because I’m trash and half my fics end in LAMP snuggles regardless of who they are supposed to be about. Fluff is NSFW at times. (nothing real explicit)
> 
> HC for this AU: Logan, Patton, and (Anx-one day i will know your name!) all meet during a psychology group project where the each had to present a characteristic: Logic, Morality and Anxiety the names stuck. Later Roman, feeling left out at not having a nickname, was dubbed Prince. 
> 
> Also this got really long when I wasn’t looking… whoops
> 
> Morality convinces the others to go camping!  
> (btw I based this off a real place I go camping with my family, if you’re curious do a google image search for Tony Grove Lake in Utah!)

“No.” Anxiety said flatly, leaving no room for argument.Patton, however, was never very good at social cues and continued to argue with him. 

“Come on, it will be fun!”

“No it won’t, it’ll be a weekend of dirt, bug bites and you singing the campfire song untill we can no longer stand you and leave you tied to a tree. “ This made Morality laugh and Anxiety rolled his eyes in annoyance. 

Summer was reaching it’s end, the start of fall semester looming closer, and Patton still hadn’t been able to convince his boyfriends to go camping with him. 

“No, it will be a weekend of fishing, hiking and s'mores!” 

“In what reality would I ever agree to go hiking?” 

“Okay, but s’mores.” 

“We can make some on the stove top if you want them that badly.’ 

“Anxxxxxxx” Pat whined, and Anxiety had to fight very hard to keep a smile off his face at the adorable display. 

Roman walked into the apartment just then, not noticing how the other two stopped talking to gawk a little. He had gotten a summer job as a lifeguard, and his red shorts and white tank top showed off far too much tanned skin to be anything but distracting. 

“Princey!” Morality said excitedly, jumping up to wrap his arms around him. “Are you working this weekend?” He asked sweetly. Anxiety rolled his eyes again, Ro fell for that voice every time. 

“No, what did you have in mind my love?”

“Oh, I just thought it might be fun,” Mo continued in that sugary voice, “If we headed up into the mountains this weekend. You know, campout under the stars and do some adventuring.” He pressed a kiss to Roman’s shoulder, the proverbial cherry on top. 

Anxiety groaned, knowing what Roman’s answer would be. The man in question heaved an overly dramatic sigh, “Well you have been asking all summer, and we could use one last hurrah before classes start. “ Anxiety flopped back on the couch in defeat even as Patton began to bounce up and down on his toes. “You’ll just have to get Logan on board, and he has to help you plan it. I’m not going to go if you're the only one in charge.” Roman said teasingly before ruffling Mo’s hair. 

“Ha!” Anxiety said sitting up and pointing at Morality, “Logan’s not going to agree to this, he’ll be on my side.” 

“You wanna bet?” Patton wiggled his eyebrows in challenge. 

“Play nice you two.” Roman laughed, heading upstairs to shower the chlorine off. 

“That’s my line!” Morality called after him

“Never!” Anxiety shouted over the other, shooting a playful glare him. 

“Say Anxiety, how does Chicken Piccata sound for dinner?” 

“Gasp. That is Logan’s favorite meal!” 

“Is it?”

“You wouldn’t!” Morality just smiled at him and flounced out of the room. 

 

When Logan got home that evening he was met with an armful of Anxiety. 

“What is happening?” He asked in confusion.

“Nothing, I just missed you.” 

“I was only gone a couple of hours.” He said trying to disentangle himself from the shorter man. “Something smells good.” 

“What? No it’s nothing.” Anxiety said tugging on his hand and pulling him to the couch, “I was about to turn on The Cosmos, do you want to watch it with me?” 

Logan was beginning to feel a little suspicious, but Anxiety was being cute which was somewhat of a rarity, and so he let himself be pulled to the couch. Anx made him sit down on the couch before he snuggled next to him and slung his legs over his lap. Logan smiled, letting the tension of a couple hours in a hard library chair seep out of him. He didn’t get Anxiety cuddles often, the other was pretty sparing with his physical attentions. Unlike Morality, who wouldn’t leave him alone long enough to get anything done. He laced his fingers together with Anxiety’s, playing with them absent mindedly. He was perfectly content, except for the rumbling in his stomach. 

“Babe, I’m starving, let's pause this and go eat something.” 

“I’ll order a pizza.” Anx mumbled quickly pulling his phone out of his pocket. 

“What? Why it smells like Mo is making something delicious?” 

“No he’s not.” Anxiety switched tactics and started pressing kisses to Logan’s jaw. 

“Are you trying to keep me away from Mo?” 

“No.” Anxiety moved so he was straddling his lap, kissing him for real. Now Logan knew the other was trying to distract him. 

“Dinner!” Pat called from the kitchen, and Logan pulled back to look at the boy in his lap. 

“Do you have a legitimate reason for me not to go in there?” Anxiety just gave him his best Puss in Boots impersonation. 

“Give it up sunshine,” Roman said as he came down stairs. “Your sad eyes can’t compete with Mo’s puppy eyes.” 

“That’s not true.” Anx pouted, which made both boys laugh.

The three walked into the kitchen, some more enthusiastically than others, to see a beautiful spread across the table. Morality had out done himself. 

“Chicken Piccata? What’s the occasion?” Logan asked as he breathed in the wonderful smell of his favorite meal. 

“No occasion, it’s just what sounded good. “ Morality shrugged casually, Logan didn’t see the other two roll their eyes. 

The meal was mostly silent, everyone too busy stuffing themselves to talk. Pat was the first to break it. 

“So Logan, I could use your help with something.” Anxiety groaned, that was a good tactic. 

“Sure, you know I’d love to. What is it you need help with?”

“Well , you know I’m not great at planning things, and the thing I want to plan has a lot that goes into it.”

“Okay, what do you need to plan.” 

“A camping trip, for the four of us, this weekend.” Lo gave Anxiety a sidelong glance, all the pieces falling into place. 

“Well, I really need to get my independent study wrapped up before school starts again. . . “ he spoke hesitantly, glancing between his two boyfriends, even as his third coughed the word “nerd” into his fist. 

“I understand.” Patton said evenly, both Roman and Anxiety looked at him confused having expected more of a fight. “I’ve just been thinking about you and that telescope we got you at christmas, and how you haven’t been able to use it that much. And the place I had picked out is high up in the mountains, where there’s no light polution and I just thought it might be nice to take it up with us. Plus the thought of just the four of us, all alone, with no distractions, well that just sounded nice.” 

“Yeah, okay “ he paused to clear his throat, “that does sound nice.” Judging from Logan’s surprised face, Anxiety felt it was safe to say that Mo’s foot had found him under the table.

“Dirty cheat,” Anxiety hissed at him. 

Anx wasn’t sure what is was that tipped Roman over the edge, it could have been his hiss, or the overly innocent smile Mo gave in return, or Logan’s shocked blush; maybe it was all three but all of sudden he was laughing. A big, uncontrollable belly laugh that was infectious. 

 

When the laughter died down the three turned to Anxiety, who struggled to pull a pout back in place. 

“Hey,” He warned as Morality began to advance on him. “You just stay back.” To no avail, Patton had already plopped onto his lap. 

“Anxy,” He said lowly, almost whining. “ just think about us up there alone,”

“We’ll be too tired from hiking.” 

“In the dark,” Logan whispered, wrapping arms around his shoulders from behind and gently nipping at his earlobe. 

“In the cold,” Anxiety countered, but his voice was much breathier than before. His eyes met Roman’s and he knew he was done for as the other simply smirked at him.   
“Fine! But don’t expect me to be happy about it.” 

Morality squealed, pressing little kisses all over his face until Anx pulled him in for a real kiss. 

 

Anxiety pouted the entire ride, leaning against the window in the back seat of Roman’s truck which was loaded down with borrowed camping gear. Patton and Roman sang along to the radio, laughing easily with each other. Meanwhile, Logan kept leaning out his window to snap pictures of the passing scenery. The mountain road followed a river, and though he’d never say it to the others, it was beautiful. 

They continued past the lower, more populated, campgrounds. Climbing higher and higher until it’d been nearly an hour since Anxiety had seen another living soul. It made him nervous. The place Morality had chosen was lovely, a place he had camped at as a kid. A small mountain lake nestled at the base of a small set of cliffs, surrounded by pine trees and hiking trails. 

Mo was the first out of the truck, looking like Camper Dad ™. Flannel shirt, cargo shorts and hiking boots. Next was Prince, dressed similarly except he had his flannel wrapped around his waist. Logan stepped up next to them as they surveyed the lake, and he looked damn fine in his jeans and tee-shirt, a baseball cap completed his casual ensemble that they hardly ever got to see. 

Anx sighed as he finally got out of the truck, if this was any indication than he definitely wasn’t going to survive the weekend. He grabbed Logan’s camera off the seat and snapped a quick picture of them, before trying to put the grumpy look back on his face. It was difficult but he managed.   
He stalked past the three and sat down on top of the picnic table and pulled out his sketch book, his phone having been locked in the glove box with everything else Mo deemed a “distraction”. 

“Anx? Aren’t you going to help us unpack?” speak of the devil, Anx thought to himself. 

“Nope.” He called back. That’s how the next few hours went. 

“Anx, will you help me set up the tent?”

“Nope.” 

“Boo, get the fire going, won’t you?” 

“No. And also, don’t call me boo.” 

 

“Anxiety, we’re going to take a walk around the lake. Come with us?” 

“No.” He didn’t even look up to see Morality’s disappointed face, or Roman’s amused one. 

“You know what guys, I think I’m going to hang back too. Enjoy yourselves.” Logan said and settled onto the table next to him. Patton heaved a long suffering sigh and began walking away, Prince had to jog to keep up with him. 

“You don’t have to stay with me, Lo.” 

“Well I’m exhausted from doing your portion of the work.” He responded, only slightly teasing. 

“Hey I didn’t want to be here. You guys made me come.” 

“Yes, but aren’t you glad you’re here?” Logan sighed, taking a deep breath. “Just smell the mountain air, and feel how warm the sun is.” Anxiety in his big hoody knew just how warm the sun was, and he was not happy about it. He went back to sketching rather than answer. After a moment of silence Logan got up and moved out of his line of sight. 

“Anxiety come over here.”

“N..” He looked up to see Logan climb into a hammock that had been strung up between two pines. “Okay.” 

Logan gave him a small smile, and after only one perilous moment or two, they were snuggled together. Anxiety felt something loosen his chest, Logan was right, the air was better up here, and there was something about the sound of the wind through the trees. Anxiety smiled when he felt Logan’s breath even out as he fell asleep, and let the gentle rise and fall of his boyfriend’s chest lull him to sleep as well. 

 

He was awoken by the sound of camera going off, and cracked one eye open to see Morality standing over them. Behind him Roman was using a water battle to clean a large scrape on his shin. The sight sent a surge of panic through him and he catapulted out of the hammock, nearly dislodging its other occupant. 

“Oh my god , Prince! Are you okay?” He shouted reaching for his backpack and pulling out not one but three first aid kits.

“Whoa, calm down Anx. I was just goofing off, trying to climb the cliff and I slipped.”

“You were doing what?!?” He rounded on Patton, giving him an accusatory glare. “How could you let him do that?”

“Hey,” Roman said, gently taking his chin and making him meet his eyes. “I am okay. I promise.” Anxiety sighed, relaxing just a little, but he still made the other sit down so he could properly clean and bandage the shin. 

As Anxiety fussed, Logan and Morality started getting things together for dinner. Soon the wonderful smells of dutch oven were wafting over the camp, encouraging even Anx to lend a helping hand. 

~

Morality looked around happily, it was well past dark and the marshmallows were toasting. It was that time of night when he knew the ghost story’s would be broken out any minute. He loved being here with the people he loved and watching the firelight dance across their faces in very distracting ways. He felt his heart swell as they laughed and threw light hearted banter around the circle. He loved them so much, he couldn’t handle it. 

He must have been pretty lost in thought, because all of a sudden there was an Anxiety in his lap, giving him a s’more before reclining against his chest. 

“What were you thinking about Mo?” 

“How much I love you.” he answered honestly, snaking one arm around the other and biting into the ooey gooey goodness. 

“God, you sap.” Anx huffed, but he was blushing slightly. That was one thing he loved about him, no matter how many times they told him they loved him, he still blushed. Morality turned his head to give him a sticky kiss. 

“Do you want to know what I was really thinking about?” He asked mischievously. 

“What?” Anx asked somewhat warily. 

“Witch Heccita,” 

“Witch Heccita?” Logan scoffed from across the fire. 

“Yes. She was an old witch who used to live up here by the lake. She was killed for her craft, but they say she came back with a pair of hellhounds. “ Anxiety rolled his eyes and got up to get another marshmallow, but Mo continued, “they say if you stand at the base of cliff and call her name she will come out to meet you. You can watch the green light of her lantern followed by the glowing red eyes of her hounds come down the cliff.”

“Come on Mo that wasn’t even scary,” Roman groaned, hiding a smile, he’s heard this one before.

“I know, that’s what I thought when I first heard the story. Me and my brother didn’t believe, but one night he got bored and decided to drive up here and check it out.” 

“Sure he did” Anx said, mostly under his breath, but Patton ignored him. 

“He pulled his car up to the cliff base and got out. ‘Witch Heccita! Witch Heccita! Witch Heccita!“ Morality paused, looking around the circle. “Then he saw it, first the green lantern, then a pair of red eyes on either side. They were coming down the cliff, faster and faster. In a panic my brother tried to get into his car but it wouldn’t start. He tried again and again, all the while watching the lights get closer and closer. Finally he got it to start, he flipped around a took off but not before,” he made eye contact with Prince who reached over and slammed the cooler lid closed, causing the other two to jump, Anx even let out a little shriek. 

“When he finally made it home there was a hand imprint on the trunk.”

Laughter made its way around the circle as the two came off their adrenaline spikes. Eventually they turned to yawns and the four put out the fire and climbed into bed. 

They meant to sleep, and they did, once they were too tired, sweaty, and blissed out to do anything else. Anxiety, however, did not sleep. The post-coital calm only lasted so long before he was flinching at every sound and shadow that passed over the tent. Not even Prince’s warmth next to him could ease the fearful feeling. With a sigh he got up, zipping his hoodie up and quietly climbing out of the tent. 

The nearly full moon cast the place in pale light, and he instantly felt better being able to see, rather than sitting blind in the tent. He sat down on the edge of the lake, pulling off his shoes, and letting the water lap at his toes. It was painfully cold without the warmth of the sun, and the hurt was strangely comforting. 

He wasn’t sure how long he sat there, watching the moon bounce off the water. His toes had numbed and he pulled them out of the water and wrapped his hands around them in an attempt to warm them. The eastern sky was just showing the first signs of dawn when he heard a strange sound. It was a hissing sound, and Anxiety tensed and turned slowly, certain he was about to come face to face with some horrible animal. Instead he saw Prince walking towards his wearing only his boxers and hissing every time his bare foot encountered a small rock or pine needle. 

“What are you doing out here? Why didn’t you put some clothes on, its freezing?!” 

“I know,” Prince said coming to sit behind him, knees boxing Anx in. “ I woke up freezing because someone let me fall asleep on top of the blankets and then abandoned me.” Anxiety smiled sheepishly, letting Roman pull him closer to his chest. He could see the goosebumps running over Roman’s arms and legs and rolled his eyes. 

“You could have at least put some clothes on.” He said, adopting an annoyed tone and leaned forward to pull his hoodie off and pass it to Ro, who accepted it eagerly. 

“So what were you doing out here, brooding?” 

“Something like that.” 

“Well are you done? I think we can snag a few more hours of sleep before Mo drags us out on an adventure.” 

Anxiety groaned but let Prince help him stand up and make their way back to the tent. Logan let out a sigh of relief when he saw them. 

“I was worried about you guys, I wanted to come check on you.” He whispered at them. 

“So why didn’t you?” Anxiety asked, laying down on his left side, as Roman fished around for a pair of sweats. Logan turned his head to the right to look at Morality before looking back at Anx. 

“I am well and thoroughly stuck. “ He said. Roman laughed quietly at that, moving across the tent to lay down behind Patton. Gently he slipped one arm around Mo’s chest and slowly pried him off Logan. Morality went easily, turning over and hooking one leg over Prince and nuzzling into his neck. 

Logan breathed a small sigh of relief, scooting closer to Anx and pushing his blanket down so his chest was bare. 

“Don’t get me wrong, I love him, but the guys a space heater.” He turned on his side so he was eye to eye with Anx and hooked their fingers together. “Existential crisis in the moonlight?” He questioned. Anxiety huffed a laugh and gave him a small smile. 

“Something like that.” 

“Anx you are the epitome of romanticism” Anxiety rolled his eyes, trying hard to keep the smile off his face. Logan leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Go to sleep, Imp” he mumbled sleepily over the sound of Prince, who was already snoring.

~

 

Morning came early. Or at least it felt early, and he was mostly sure it was morning. He was alone in the tent and the sunlight cast tree branch shadows across the ceiling. He sat up with a groan, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He groped around for his hoodie, but it was nowhere to be found. Resignedly he stumbled out of the tent, looking for the others. 

He ran into Patton first, who was cleaning up what looked to be… lunch? Okay so not morning than. He sat on the table next to where Morality was using a pot of hot water to clean.

“Good morning sleepy head.” Mo dropped a kiss to his hair and pressed a sandwich into his hands. Anxiety grumbled something back that loosely translated into good morning. He looked over to where the other two were and saw Prince looking undeniably cute in his hoodie and a pair of swim trunks. He and Logan were working on blowing up rafts by the lake’s edge.

“Why don’t you get your trunks on and come float with us?”

“Ya okay,” he quickly retreated to the tent and changed. When he got back Morality was holding the bottle of sunscreen expectantly. 

“So did I miss anything?” he asked, turning to let Mo cover his back. 

“Not much, we had a lazy morning. Played a few hands of cards, we took a walk around the lake and Logan pointed out all the different birds and plants. Princey got a little randy when we were helping each other put sunscreen on.” he turned Anxiety around so he could spread the lotion over his cheeks and nose. “When it cools a little we’ll go on a hike, there’s a cave just above us I’d love to show you.” 

Anxiety just looked at him through his fringe.

“Oh come on. You can’t be a spoil sport the whole time.” Anxiety was taken aback by how serious Mo’s voice was. Not a hint of joking anywhere in it. He reached out and snagged Patton’s wrist when he tried to turn away, then laced their fingers together and stared at them as if they were the most fascinating things he’d ever seen. 

“I’m sorry.” He mumbled. 

“No I am, I shouldn’t let this mean so much to me. It’s just a silly camping trip.”

Anxiety felt those words like a knife to the heart, but he continued to stare at their entwined hands as guilty tears threatened his eyes. He cleared his throat before speaking. 

 

“It’s not silly. I’m just an awful selfish person who only thought about how I felt. I didn’t realize how much this trip meant to you.” 

“I just wanted to spend sometime with you guys, before” It was Morality’s turn to clear his throat, like he was trying to hold back something heavy. Anx finally looked up at him in confusion. “Before school starts.” He finished with a fake smile. Anxiety was in full on concerned mode now, staring Mo in the eye. 

“What’s going on?” 

“Nothing, nothing at all, now let's go swim.” 

“No, tell me what’s going on.” 

“What’s going on is that I love you so much, okay? I love how you worry about us, and I love the way you blush, and I love it when you let me take care of you.” There were tears in Mo’s eyes before he surged forward and crashed their lips together. Of all the kisses they had shared, never had one been so desperate, or felt so terrifying. He broke away from it so he could look Mo in the eye.

“Pats, why does it feel like you’re saying goodbye?” He ignored Roman and Logan’s calls. Mo just plastered a smile on his face, turning and walking towards the lake. Pulling his tee shirt off with a whoop and then making a beeline for the truck.. Anxiety felt frozen in place, dizzy, heart pounding. He forced himself to walk towards the lake, shakily picking up his raft. 

He paddled out to where Roman and Logan were already floating. He looked around for Morality and found him fiddling with a speaker. Suddenly Mr. Boombastic was blaring across the lake, bouncing off the cliff. Both Anxiety and Logan groaned as Mo broke into his signature goofy dance before belly flopping onto his raft and paddling out to them. 

“You are such a dork,” Logan laughed affectionately and Morality splashed water at him. 

“Can’t we turn on my playlist?” Anxiety whined.

“No,” The other three chorused at once. 

Roman stood up and dove off his floatie, swimming gracefully in the crystal clear water. He came up under Logan’s raft, flipping him into the water. Logan came up spluttering and an all out war ensued between the two. Anxiety flipped onto his back, letting his arms hang over the side so that his fingers could trail through the cool water. Patton paddled over to him, so as to be out of the line of fire and hooked his leg over Anxiety’s so they wouldn’t float apart. Lazily he trailed fingers up and down the inside of Anx’s arm, and Anxiety smiled. The tight ball of worry was still there, but he felt soothed nonetheless, laughing lightly when the song changed and Hammer Time started playing. Prince hopped up on his raft, singing along and attempting to perform the accompanying dance. Logan paddled over to Anxiety’s other side, entwining their fingers to keep their rafts together. 

If Anxiety had just had his eyes open he might have seen it coming, might have been able to change what happened next. As it was he did not see Roman approach them and flop across all three of them. For a moment the rafts dipped under the surface, cool water flooding over them. They coughed and spluttered as Prince just laughed. Logan reached over and smacked him across the head affectionately. 

They floated like that for awhile until Roman’s stomach began to rumble. 

They decided to head a shore and get dinner put together, eating quickly before getting ready for their hike. Anxiety bit back his complaints which earned him an affectionate squeeze around the shoulders. 

He did very well at keeping quiet until he noticed Logan’s telescope being packed carefully into his backpack. 

“Why are you bringing that ?” He asked nervously. 

“So we can star gaze from the top, obviously.” 

“But that means we will be hiking back down in the dark.”

“Don’t worry, “ Morality said from behind him, “We have plenty of flashlights and we’ll be careful.” 

Anxiety swallowed, trying to tamp down his dread. It didn’t work. 

In fact his sense of dread only grew as they began up the steep path. Princey lead the way, setting a pace that was way to athletic for Anxiety to keep up with. It was okay though because Logan also fell behind as he kept getting distracted by certain flowers, and odd bugs. It took them about at an hour to get up to the cave. Anxiety was trying very hard to control his breathing, not wanting to concern any one as they stepped into the dark cavern. Patton dropped his pack, kneeling to fish out the flash lights and and headlamps. Anxiety took the proffered light quickly, hoping the other would not notice the slight tremble in his hands. 

They explored the cavern, Pat telling stories of when he and his brothers would play here as kids, Logan remarking on the bits of quartz and the geological structure and Roman trying to give Anxiety a heart attack by jumping from boulder to boulder. Anxiety heaved a sigh of relief when they reached what he thought was the back without incident. It quickly turned back into panic when Mo stuck his feet in a hole in the wall and started to shimmy through. 

“What on earth are you doing?” He grabbed a fistful of his shirt to halt his movements. 

“It's a bit tight, but totally worth it. The back cavern is huge and there is this drop off, you can’t even see the bottom.” He grinned before disappearing. Now panic really was surging through him as Logan slipped through the hole. 

“Roman” he pleaded as he began to step through as well. 

“Hey it’s okay, it’s perfectly safe.” Anxiety just shook his head. “How about this, you can stay out here and we will be back in ten minutes.” He said with a grin, reaching up to stroke Anxiety’s cheek. Without waiting for his answer, Prince let out a whoop and wriggled through the crevice.   
Anxiety collapsed, sitting in the dirt and pressing his back against the cold rock wall. 

He talked himself through breathing and grounding exercises, and they worked, somewhat. But ten minutes came and went. 

Eleven Minutes. “Roman?”

Twelve. “Logan? Patton?”

Thirteen minutes. “Guys!” He called through the hole, but his voice was small, choked with panic. He thought about climbing after them, but he couldn’t breath. He couldn’t breath, and he couldn’t see through the tears. Visions of them stepping off into endless darkness were all he could see. 

“Roman!” He tried one more time, making it as loud as he possibly could. 

Princes grinning face appeared first, but it quickly dissolved into a frown when he took in Anxiety's appearance. He quickly pulled himself from the small tunnel and was barely out of it when Anxiety launched at him. His breath leaving him in an oof as he hit the wall, Anx sobbing and clinging to him.

“Hey, hey. It's okay, we’re all okay.” He said stroking a hand down Anx’s trembling back. “I'm sorry, I should have watched the time better. Let's go sit in the sun and take a breather okay.”

Anx’s face remained buried in his chest as he awkwardly maneuvered them outside.He managed to get him to sit on a boulder and disentangle himself enough to crouch in front of him. 

“Look at me,” He said gently, cupping Anxiety’s jaw. “We’re just going to breath for a second okay? Breath in for four-three-two-one, good.” He continued to speak lowly and calmly, stroking Anxiety’s hand which was tangled in his shirt still. 

“Logan, Pat?” He stuttered through his sobbs.

“They’re fine I promise.” 

Anxiety just shook his head, over and over, working himself up again. 

“Let’s go check on them okay?” He led Anx back into the cave and moved to climb through the tunnel when Anxiety stopped him, once again in a panic. 

He hugged his boyfriend trying to think of a solution. “How about this, I’ll just poke my head in so they can hear me, and you can hold onto my foot the whole time.” 

~

“Why does it feel like you’re saying goodbye?” Logan was staring at him wide eyed, the flash light making his face look pale and shadowed. 

“Of course I’m not saying goodbye. What a ridiculous thing to say. “ He brushed him off. 

“Logic!Morality!” they both turned towards Prince’s voice, carefully picking their way back to the small crevice. Patton had hadn’t even made it all the way out when Anxiety hauled him bodily out of the wall and hugged him tightly. 

“Whoa babe what’s the matter? “ he asked, stroking hands down Anx’s back. Anxiety let go of him to attack Logan next. Roman ushered them outside and they sat in the grass as the sun went down, Anxiety constantly touching each of them to reassure himself. 

Prince got up to gather wood for a small fire, after promising Anx he would stay in sight. Anxiety leaned heavily against Mo’s side, exhausted but refusing to let go of Logan’s hand. He smiled when Lo began playing with their intertwined fingers.

At some point he must have fallen asleep, he blinked his eyes open slowly. He was laying with his head in Mo’s lap in front of a small fire, he could see Logan and Prince a ways off, setting up the telescope. Well Logic was trying to set it up, it seemed like all Roman was interested in was kissing every inch of his neck and avoiding the swats that were sent his way. The sight made him giggle a little. 

Patton leaned down to look at him, brushing fingers through his hair. “You awake?” 

“No.” He sighed snuggling closer, Morality laughed at that. 

“Okay then, you know you gave us a bit of a scare there.” 

“I gave you a scare!” Anxiety sat up so he could stare indignantly at his boyfriend. 

“Alright, alright. You're right, I’m sorry.” He chuckled putting his hands up in surrender. Anx huffed but laid down again, sighing in contentment when Pat resumed stroking his hair.   
He rolled over with the intent of look at the sky and maybe Mo’s face, but suddenly Prince was straddling him.

“Lo banished me.” He whined between kisses. 

“You're incorrigible” Patton laughed only to have his hair fisted and be pulled into a kiss. Anxiety leaned up to press kisses into Roman's neck, letting his hand slip under the hem of his shirt and trace the tanned skin there. 

Logan called them over and they spent the next hour or so looking at amazing things and sharing soft kisses. 

At some point Pat and Ro moved back to their little fire. Anxiety watched them worriedly as the talked quietly together, he was to focused on the scene to realize that Logan had stopped remarking on the night sky and was watching the pair with the same worried look. The enchantment of the evening broke as unease ate at them. Logan heaved a sigh and began disassembling the telescope. 

“You’re done?” Anxiety asked quietly, surprised by the deep frown that cut across Logan’s face. He reached up and ran his fingers between Logic’s eyebrows to smooth out the crease there. “What’s wrong?” Logan just shook his head, trying to brush him off, Anx wasn’t having any of it. 

“Logan, please tell me what’s wrong?” He broke out the Puss in Boots eyes. Logan sighed again, but this time it hid a small smile. 

“I’m sure I’m just overthinking it, but I had a conversation with Pat today that has me a bit worried.” 

“Me too,” Anxiety admitted with a small voice. “It felt like he was telling me goodbye.” Logan looked up at him in surprise, but nodded, conforming Anxiety’s fears. 

“Yeah” it was barely a whisper, “That's exactly what it felt like.” Tears pricked at his eyes as he helped Logan pack the equipment away. 

The hike down was solemn, Logan laced his fingers with Anx’s as they worried. Roman was also quiet, carefully leading the way, but there was a certain dejected cast to his shoulders. This frightened Anx most of all. They made it to camp without any incidents and quietly got ready for bed. The air was heavy in the tent as they each lay awake in the dark. Silent tears tracked Anx’s face and reached for Logan’s hand in the dark. 

“Please just tell us what's going on!” Roman near shouted, suddenly sitting up. Slowly the others sat up as well, Anx reaching over to flip on the lantern. 

“What do you mean?” Patton asked, but it was unconvincing. 

“I mean why does our last hurrah feel like, well a last hurrah.” Roman’s voice was tinged with anger, a sure sign that he was hurting. 

“Pats,” Anx said quietly, really more of a plea. Patton sighed, rubbing his forehead before reaching for his glasses. 

“I was gonna weight till we got home to tell you, i just wanted to have this happy, shining memory to look back on when I’m scared.”

“Scared? Why would you be scared?” Logan whispered, as if forcing himself to ask. Patton smiled sadly at his hands before answering. 

“I’m not going to school next semester, my units been deployed.” 

Anxiety felt as if the words bounced off of him, refusing to absorbed. In the few seconds it took him to fully realize what Mo had just said his veins had turned to ice, he wondered for a second if he would through up.

He looked up at Price who wore a mask of frightened acceptance, if any one understood duty, it was Roman. 

Logic’s face was a tragic mix of denial and desperation. “You told me you only joined the Reserves to pay for school?”

“That’s true, doesn't change the fact that my unit has gotten orders. I knew this was a very real possibility when a joined, I don’t regret. I'm going to miss you guys but it's not the end of the world, I’ll be fine.”

“Fine?!? How can you say that!” Anxiety screamed, tears flooding down his face.

“Where?” Roman’s voice cracked and he had to clear his throat to get the word out.   
“Uganda, part of a NATO mission. Good news though, it's only a six month deployment.” 

“And it’s not Syria.” Roman said with relief in his voice. Anxiety, however, was sobbing. The what ifs drowning him. Patton quickly swiped away the tear that left his own eye, pulling Anxiety into his lap. 

“I'm going to be fine don’t you worry. I'm a Medical Corps Officer on a peacekeeping mission, most likely all I will really be doing helping out in pop-up clinics. Really I got lucky.” Patton laid down, cradling Anx against his chest, sighing when Roman spooned up behind him. He looked at up at Logan who still looked uncertain, like a million questions sat on the end of his tongue. Logic worried his lip between his teeth, gears spinning in his mind. 

“Come lay down,” Mo coaxed quietly, “You always calm him better than anyone else.” He saw it the moment that it happened, when Logics mind switched for the storm of question to the focus of a task, Comfort Anxiety. Logan reached over and switched the light off, pressing against Anxietys back and spreading a blanket over all of them. He found Anxiety’s hand and twined their fingers together in that way that was so uniquely theirs. Patton smiled at the small gesture. He guessed that was one thing about a relationship like theirs, 

There was always someone to look after your loved ones when you were gone.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed, leave your thoughts and come find me on tumblr @inalandofmythandtimeofmagic


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